Why Pink?

While the where and why of many things in life can be arbitrary, many details that to the casual observer may mean nothing, are the result of very deliberate choices.  In the instance of my logo, the color pink was no happenstance, but rather the result of a deliberate and collaborative effort.

The simple answer is that it is my favorite color, but how it came to be incorporated into the logo is a longer story.  When I first set out to create a logo, I reached out to a graphic artist I know for a recommendation as to where I could create a logo for myself.  Ironically, the reason I even knew this graphic designer, all harkens back to the blog I wrote for Ventec Life Systems. Shortly after it was first published, he reached out to let me know that he had enjoyed reading my blog.  I started with a basic black logo, but I was never quite satisfied with my result and finally shared what I had produced for critical feedback.  Realizing my obvious inadequacy, he took it upon himself to present me with a redesigned logo that was far more suitable and visually appealing.  In the end, fortunately for all parties involved, the result was the logo you see today, rather than the hot mess I had attempted to create on my own.

The relationships we build in our life are a measure of who we are.

The point of this story is not that my favorite color is pink, that my graphic design skills are lacking, nor that I may have inadvertently tricked a nice man into doing my design work for me, rather, it is that the relationships we foster in life are what truly matter.  Humans are social creatures, and it is what we accomplish when we interact with others that truly gives our life value and meaning.  Whether it is your relationship with your best friend, family, the "stranger" you see walking down the street every day, your neighbor, or the guy you periodically talk to online, they all contribute something of value to your life.

Growing up I was shy and struggled to make friends; I tended to keep more acquaintances than actual friends.  The outpouring of support after my accident, however, touched me in a way which helped open me up to letting people more deeply into my life.  The reality is, the more people you have in your life, the fuller it is.  That is not to say that every person you know is someone that you are going to turn to when you need a place to live after your house burns down, but if you keep yourself open to letting people in, you just might find that when the time comes to design your own logo, you have someone to turn to.

Sharing a laugh with friends and family!

One of my favorite things about writing a blog is how it has affected my relationships.  For example, I spend a lot of time emailing, texting, and FaceTiming my aunt who lives halfway across the country, because she graciously edits my blog posts.  Distance can make it difficult to keep in regular contact with family, and my blog has given us a reason to interact regularly.  Not only do we keep in better touch, but it has given us something to do together, and working towards a common goal has created an opportunity to spend quality time together, in a unique way regardless of our physical distance. 

Whether it is changing the dynamic of relationships with friends and family who act as inspiration for blog posts, generously providing pictures of their children to amp up the cuteness factor, or the opportunity to meet and make new friends, I am grateful for the ways writing a blog has provided an opportunity to cultivate deeper relationships.  In the end, it is the relationships we build in our life that are a measure of who we are.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to my blog, whether it be through logistics, logo design, inspiration, editing, or most importantly, giving it a reason to exist by reading it!